Car-coupling



(No Mod-e1.) y 2 sheets-sheen 1.

.'I. C. LOOK.

GAR GOUPLING. V-

No. 493,933. Patented Meir. 21, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheetsf-Sheet. 2.

J C. LGOK.

GAR-GOUPLING.

No. 493,933. Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

UNITED STATESr PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. LOOK, OF SAN JOS, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,933, dated March 21, 1893.

Application led June 3, 1892. Serial No. 435.414. (No model.)

To a/ZZ wiz/0m it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN C. LOOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at San J os, Santa Clara county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Oar-Couplings; and I hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine.

My invention relates to the vertical plane type having pivoted hook heads and pivoted guards; and consists in an automatic lock for the pivoted guard whereby it is held in a fixed position when the coupling is under draft, and released when buffing, or when a coupling is to be made; both locking and releasing being accomplished automatically.

It more properly relates to an improvement on a car coupling described in Patent No. 474,090, granted to me May 3, 1892, the form of which will be used in connection with this description.

There are also other improvements on the aforesaid coupling, which will be hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings,-Figure l is a top viewl of two couplings in a coupled position; they being represented as under draft; the drawhead on car l being in sect-ion on line x-zr of Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a plan View of two coupling heads in the act of coupling when both hooks are closed; one drawhead being partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of two coupling heads bufiing; one drawhead being partly in section. Fig. 4. is a front elevation, the drawhead and guard, and lever arm being in section on line lfx of car l, Fig. l. It is represented as being under draft. Fig, 5 is a sectional part on the same line as Fig. 4, showing the position of the lever arm when released. Fig. 6 is a sectional part on the same line as Fig. 5, showing the vertical locking pin raised and supported by a swinging catch; the lever arm being shown as being partly out. Fig. 7 shows the vertical locking pin in connection with the arm of the pivoted guard taken on line :c2-Q02 of Fig. 3,drawhead 2. Fig. S shows a side elevation of the stein of the drawbar of car 2, in Fig. l; it is partly in section. Fig.

9 shows the position of the coupling heads when the cars are separated; both being closed. Fig. lO shows two heads in the act of coupling. Fig. ll shows a solid guard type coupled to a pivoted guard type; they are in bufling contact. Fig. l2 shows a front elevation of a car fully equipped with the improved coupling.

The locking of the pivoted guard is accomplished by an incline in connection with the arm of the pivoted guard and the head of the locking pin. The locking pin R is of the usual type, inserted to lock the lever arm e of the pivoted head E. Near by this locking pin, on the buffer arm a, is pivoted the guard B. This guard has two arms b and h', which pass over the buffer arm a, one above and one below, and are pivoted at b2. The arm h on the top extends beyond the pivot b2 to the locking pin R, and passes under the projecting head of said locking pin. On the extended portion of this arm is a lug b3, that has an incline rising rearwardly; and the 'head of the locking pin that extends out over the lug b3 has a corresponding incline r. The relative positions are shown in Fig. '7, which is taken on line @c2-x2 of Fig. 3; this position is when the guard B is in its forward position and the locking pin is down to place.

The top View is shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, and the front viewin Figs/land 5; butshould the guard B be flexed, as in effecting accupling, which is shown in Fig. lO, the arm b of the guard B turns on the pivot b2; the lug b3 with the incline moves forward under the inoline fr' of the head of the locking pin R, which causes said pin to rise, as is shown in dotted lines at x4 in Fig. 7; and when the hooks are coupled the side springs hereinafter nientoned press the guards into place and the pin drops. Now when the draft cornes on the locking pin from the lever arm e, it will be quite difcult to raise the said locking pin, so that the lug b3 on the arm bis kept back, and only a lateral force on the guard to overcome the forward strain on the locking pin would raise the pin. The locking pin R is yet further secured by being notched as shown at s, Figs. 4 and 5. Working in this notch is a corresponding projection s' on the lever arme of the pivoted head E; in this case the leverarm must be thrown back out of the notch before the pin can be raised, as is seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. This notch s and the projection .s may be inclined as is shown in Fig. 4. The value of the incline is two-fold; for should the ICO locking pin not be quite down, or the guard FSO a aegee@ B not turned to place, the lever arm e work ing in the inclined notch will pull the pin down, and thus turn the guard by pressing the lug b3 backward, which cannot be accomplished in either Figs. 5 or 6. And also should the coupling become detached at its rear end there would be only a slight pressure of the lever arm left and the chain Z pulling upward from the car would raise the locking pin out of the incline s' and thus uncouple the pivoted head. But in Fig. 5 the coupling would be jerked away from the car, as the lock is positive. This incline may be increased or diminished; making the incline more horizontal increases its power, and making it more perpendicular decreases its power, so that any degree of lock may be had from a plain friction, as is shown in Fig. 6, to a positive lock as is shown in Fig. 5; and the same can be accomplished with the incline r in the head of the pin, only a more perpendicular incline increases the power, and a more horizontal diminishes it. This guard should not be held rigid against the back of the opposite coupling head, but have a small lateral play, to allow the coupling to work well on curves. To eifectually couple, and lock, and

release this device, a certain relation must exist between the vertical walls of the drawbar and the lever arm c, as the lever arm must be thrown backward out of the catch s in the locking pin. This is accomplished by pressure on the front face of the pivoted hook head E, as is shown in Fig. 2, or by pressure on the incline e in the lever arm e, as shown in Fig. 3. Thelocking pin is then free to be raised to uncouple, or to allow the guard to be flexed. The wall e of the incline in the lever arrn e is at this time even with the wall a. of the incline in the draw-bar; and the rear wall a2 is set back to allow this to be accom plished, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the coupling is under draft, the wall e in the lever arm e is out beyond the lwall a in the draw-bar, as shown in Fig. l, to allow it to be first pressed against in bufting, so that the locking pin is released on the slightest buffing contact. The lever arm e maybe allowed to still further recede t0 form an incline on the front face of the hook-head E, toward the guard B, as shown in Figs. 2, 9 and 10 and yet not aifect the operation of the coupling; for when the hooks have passed as far as represented in Fig. 10, they are forced into place by the lateral pressure of the guards. This incline on the face of the hook head may be made to correspond to the incline in the buffer arm of other couplings of this type that have a different incline, as shown in Fig. ll, drawhead 2, thus preventing the breakage of the hooks caused by the use of such other incline, and making it possible to use such an incline in this draw-bar, as shown in dotted line m5, Fig. 10. But in that case a reverse incline o, Fig. 10, must be used. The reverse incline may be used on the Hat face buffer arm with good effect, but

the incline inu'st be very slight, as is shown in dotted line o FigA l0, car l. The incline on the face of the hook also makes it possible to hold the coupling nearer the center line of the car when the cars are separated, than is described in the former patent, as the hooks will slide by each other in coming together, as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

A new device is shown for holding up the locking pin R when the lever arm e is out and the pin is left loose to couple. It consists of a swinging triangular catch t' hung on a pin t" that is made fast to the wall in the drawbar rearward of the place occupied by the lever arm e, as shown in Fig. 3. By the manner of swinging it, as shown inFig. 6, the gravity is to the side toward the locking pin. On the top of this triangular piecet' is a projection 2, which extends out over the lever arm e and then toward thelocking pin. When the lever arm e is in place, as in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the catch is raised up, the projection 712 occupying a recess in the upper part of the drawhead; but when'the lever arm is out, as in Fig. 6, this catch by its gravity falls, sov that the projection t2 comes under the shoulder fr inthe locking pin. The pin may then be'released from the car and held up by the catch In connection with this arrangement, the lever arm hasa projection e2 which is inclined from its end upward, and thisincline coming under the projection t2 of the catchraises it up past the shoulder r ofthe locking pin, which-is then free to drop when the lever arm `is in place. Y

Another way from that shown in myprevious patent, is shown of applying the spring on the draw-bar Afrom the car, as represented by the spring bar C', Fig. 1, car 2, which saves cutting into the draft timbers, and produces the action directly opposite the spring bary C. Another way is shown in car l, Fig. l, and in Fig. 9, in which the the spring bars may be made in iron and press on .the draw-bar immediately in front of the draft timbers. This result is the same as in car 2, Fig. l, the pressure `being exerted on the draw-bar and guard D to hold them together, by which action the guard B is held in place, and the stop c for the stronger spring c so placed as to hold the coupling bar in the required position when the cars are separated. For in this case, as in my former patent, the spring c is stronger than the spring c2 and is controlled bya stoppe whereby the coupling is held as desired.`

In Figs. 9 and 10, car 2, the guard bar D, acts on the guard B with an incline. The spring bar C acting on the guard bar D forces it inward, and the incline d pressing on the rear of the guard B, at h4 which is out from its pivotal center b2, forces it forward into the coupled position; the result being the same as in car l where the incline is formed at b5 on the guard l, Fig. l0.

A new way is shown `of forming the pivot for swinging the draw-bar A. It consists of the familiar U-shaped strap 71,7 Figs. 1 and 8,

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which is bolted on to the draw-bar, and in closes the draft spring h', so arranged with the rear draw-plate as to form the pivot. This is accomplished by having the rear drawplate h2 hollowed in the center vertically, as shown at h3, and an oval boss h4 on the strap to work in the socket h3.

In Fig. 4, a bell-crank Y is shown with which to raise the locking pin whereby the uncoupling may be done from the other side from that shown in Fig. 12.

In Fig. l2, Z2 is the operating bar connected with the chain Zwhich operates the lifting barj for raising the locking pin R, being the same as in my previous patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car coupling, the combination ot' a draw-bar having a pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard, and a connection between the pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard comprising inclined surfaces on said hook-head and guard whereby the draft pressure on thel pivoted hookhead tends to hold the pivoted guard in a fixed position on the drawbar, substantially as herein described.

2. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-bar havinga pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard, and a locking device for the pivoted hook-head, and a connection comprising contacting inclined surfaces between the locking device and pivoted guard whereby the draft pressure on the locking device tends to hold the pivoted guard in a fixed position on the draw-bar, substantially as herein described.

3. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-bar havinga pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard, and a locking device for the hookhead, and an incline in connection with the locking device and pivoted guard whereby the locking device is operated as in uneoupling when the guard is flexed, substantially as herein described.

4. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard with extended arm b, a vertical locking pin for the hook-head, having a projection on its upper end extending out over the arm ZJ of the pivoted guard, and an incline in connection with said projection and arm, whereby the pivoted guard is held forward into the coupled position when the locking pin is down and under draft pressure, substantially as herein described.

5. In a ear coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a pivoted hook-head with lever arm and a pivoted guard, a locking pin having an incline in connection with the pivoted guard whose downward pressure throws the guard forward, and a notch in the locking pin for the lever arm of the hook-head, whereby the locking pin is held down when the coupling is under draft, substantially as herein described.

6. In a car coupling, the combination ot a draw-bar having a pivoted hook-head with lever armand a pivoted guard, a locking pin for the hook-head, an incline in connection with the locking pin and pivoted guard to hold the guard, a notch in said locking pin for the lever arm of the hook-head, and an incline in connection with said notch and lever-arm, whereby the locking pin is drawn down more tirmly under heavy draft pressure, and more easily uncoupled under light draft pressure, substantially as herein described.

7. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a vertical wall a', a pivoted hook-head with lever arm and vyielding pivoted guard, devices for locking the pivoted guard including the notched locking piece for the reception of the lever arm of the hookhead, and the vertical wall c of the incline in the lever arm standing out in front of the vertical wall a of the incline in the draw-bar, when the lever arm is in the notch, and to recede back when there is bufting pressure, substantially as herein described.

S. In a ear coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a flat face pivoted hookhead and yielding guard, and a drawhead so recessed for the lever arm of the pivoted head, as to allow an inclined plane to be formed of the tlat face of the hook-head, said incline pointing inwardly toward the direction of the guard, substantially as herein described.

9. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-bar having a flat face hook-head and yielding guard, saidhook-head forming an inclined plane of its front face, a spring to act from the car on the draw-bar side, and a stronger spring, in connection with a stop, to act from the ear on the guard bar side, to hold the hook in a central location when the cars are separated substantially as herein described.

lO. In a car coupling, a draw-bar having a iiat face pivoted hook-head and pivoted guard, and the reverse incline o, substantially as herein described.

ll. A laterally swinging draw-bar with U- shaped strap h having the oval boss h4 and socket h3 in the draw-plate hsubstantially as herein described.

l2. In a car coupling, a draw-bar having a pivoted hook-head with a locking lever arm, a vertical locking pin having a shoulder for the locking lever, the swinging catch t' for resting under the shoulder of the locking pin when the locking lever isout, and the inclined projection e2 on the lever arm, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. v

JOI-IN C. LOOK.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J. A. BAYLEss.

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